necklaces aside and lowering the bed. They tear the gown off of her body. They’re treating her too roughly, she’s delicate. As I stand my cup shatters on the ground. “RACHEL?”
Batty’s arms go around me as I reach for them. They’re going to hurt her. “RACHEL?!”
His arms are steel bands and won’t let me go. He drags me first to the back of the room, then out the door. “Rachel,” I whisper. I blink over and over, trying to rewind, trying to unsee. Batty hits the wall opposite her door. Nurses rush back and forth, and I wait, like a damned parent, for them to tell me it was a false alarm. We wait until a doctor comes out slower than the rest. The siren has stopped.
Batty’s arms haven’t stopped holding me, squeezing so tight I don’t know if the trouble I have breathing is because of that too full feeling in my chest or him crushing my ribs.
The doctor goes to leave. I try to lurch away to follow but don’t get very far. “Wait! What are you doing?” I ask numbly.
The doctor sighs and looks between us before walking back to where we are. “Are you the parents?”
“I . . . what?” I can’t think.
“No.” I feel the short answer more than hear it. Something’s wrong with my ears. There’s a roaring in them.
“I’m sorry, I can’t give any information to you if you aren’t the next of kin.”
“Ki—” I can’t even finish the sentence. That’s what they say when something bad happens. But, fuck, she’s already got cancer.
There’s a commotion down the hall, the sound becoming faster, louder as two people round the corner at a run.
They see the doctor, and I see them.
“You,” I growl, knowing these are the people that leave her.
“Sadie,” is whispered in my ear as I struggle.
“Where were you?!” I screech.
The doctor turns back to me, directing his eyes over my shoulder. “Get her out of here.”
“Her? HER?! I was here!” I focus on my prey. “Where were you? At your church or getting something to eat, while your daughter imagines food? Where the fuck were you?” I scream at them.
Batty says, “Okay,” before he hauls me away. I kick on my bare feet. I resemble someone on Jerry Springer held back by the bodyguard.
“You’re leaving, Sadie,” Batty says as he pulls me toward the elevators, taking me dangerously close to the people I want to rip apart.
“What is wrong with you,” the guy asks, looking like I’m crazy.
“I was having tea with the queen!” I try to launch myself at him, but Batty’s too strong, so I resort to my long legs. Before I can make contact he lurches me around so that I can’t see them anymore. He doesn’t let me go until we’re in the elevator. When he does, I almost collapse to the ground.
Batty’s breathing hard, pacing with his hands on his hips. We don’t speak. My mind is numb, but at the same time whirling like that tornado from last time, but this is F5.
There are people on the elevator to the parking garage and a woman keeps looking at me from the corner of her eye. I start for her, barking, “What?”
Batty is there in a second, pulling me away. The woman shrugs and moves to the front. She gets off on the first floor, even though she pressed two.
When we get to the third floor, we’re alone. I stand there, just staring. I see Rachel laughing, so hard tears were running down her cheeks. Then I see her still. Over and over.
“Come on,” Batty says, grabbing my arm and moving me toward his car.
“But—” I say quietly.
“You don’t have your purse. I’ll drive you.”
“Purse?” I ask, confused.
“Your keys. You don’t have them or your driver’s license.”
I look to my feet and behind me as he drags me along. Nope. They aren’t there.
“You’re in shock. You couldn’t drive anyway. Get in the car.” He opens the door, and my knees buckle more than sit in the seat. He
Batty’s arms go around me as I reach for them. They’re going to hurt her. “RACHEL?!”
His arms are steel bands and won’t let me go. He drags me first to the back of the room, then out the door. “Rachel,” I whisper. I blink over and over, trying to rewind, trying to unsee. Batty hits the wall opposite her door. Nurses rush back and forth, and I wait, like a damned parent, for them to tell me it was a false alarm. We wait until a doctor comes out slower than the rest. The siren has stopped.
Batty’s arms haven’t stopped holding me, squeezing so tight I don’t know if the trouble I have breathing is because of that too full feeling in my chest or him crushing my ribs.
The doctor goes to leave. I try to lurch away to follow but don’t get very far. “Wait! What are you doing?” I ask numbly.
The doctor sighs and looks between us before walking back to where we are. “Are you the parents?”
“I . . . what?” I can’t think.
“No.” I feel the short answer more than hear it. Something’s wrong with my ears. There’s a roaring in them.
“I’m sorry, I can’t give any information to you if you aren’t the next of kin.”
“Ki—” I can’t even finish the sentence. That’s what they say when something bad happens. But, fuck, she’s already got cancer.
There’s a commotion down the hall, the sound becoming faster, louder as two people round the corner at a run.
They see the doctor, and I see them.
“You,” I growl, knowing these are the people that leave her.
“Sadie,” is whispered in my ear as I struggle.
“Where were you?!” I screech.
The doctor turns back to me, directing his eyes over my shoulder. “Get her out of here.”
“Her? HER?! I was here!” I focus on my prey. “Where were you? At your church or getting something to eat, while your daughter imagines food? Where the fuck were you?” I scream at them.
Batty says, “Okay,” before he hauls me away. I kick on my bare feet. I resemble someone on Jerry Springer held back by the bodyguard.
“You’re leaving, Sadie,” Batty says as he pulls me toward the elevators, taking me dangerously close to the people I want to rip apart.
“What is wrong with you,” the guy asks, looking like I’m crazy.
“I was having tea with the queen!” I try to launch myself at him, but Batty’s too strong, so I resort to my long legs. Before I can make contact he lurches me around so that I can’t see them anymore. He doesn’t let me go until we’re in the elevator. When he does, I almost collapse to the ground.
Batty’s breathing hard, pacing with his hands on his hips. We don’t speak. My mind is numb, but at the same time whirling like that tornado from last time, but this is F5.
There are people on the elevator to the parking garage and a woman keeps looking at me from the corner of her eye. I start for her, barking, “What?”
Batty is there in a second, pulling me away. The woman shrugs and moves to the front. She gets off on the first floor, even though she pressed two.
When we get to the third floor, we’re alone. I stand there, just staring. I see Rachel laughing, so hard tears were running down her cheeks. Then I see her still. Over and over.
“Come on,” Batty says, grabbing my arm and moving me toward his car.
“But—” I say quietly.
“You don’t have your purse. I’ll drive you.”
“Purse?” I ask, confused.
“Your keys. You don’t have them or your driver’s license.”
I look to my feet and behind me as he drags me along. Nope. They aren’t there.
“You’re in shock. You couldn’t drive anyway. Get in the car.” He opens the door, and my knees buckle more than sit in the seat. He
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